BitterSweet Love
by CourtneyCherelle
Summary: Kagome is dedicated to her job as a history teacher. Committing to a man? Not on her agenda. But then tragedy brings her closer to Sesshoumru when they have to share custody of their twin godchildren.
1. Prologue

Another Story from me! I think i will actually finish this one. Someday anyway.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru is completely different in this story.

A/N: Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's Parents are alive and everyone is on good terms, sorta. All Human!

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**BitterSweet Love**

Prologue

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No one sitting in Inuyasha and Kikyo's family room noticed Kagome's pissed off mood. The family had come together to celebrate the birthday of 12 year old twins Rin and Shippo. The twins took turns opening and reading cards, unwrapping gifts, and hugging and kissing their parents as well as both sets of grandparents and the aunt and uncle.  
Kagome, the twins aunt, hadn't realized the she was grinding her teeth until she felt the pain in her gums. It was either clench her jaw or spit out every cuss word in the book. Her eyes narrowed when the object of her fury flashed his trademark smirk.

_That's it!_ she screamed in her head. _It ends tonight_. Bracing her hands on the arms of the club chair, she rose to her feet and made her way to where Sesshoumaru Tashio stood with his arm around his mother shoulders. He looked as her with an eye brow arched.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Tashio, but I'd like to speak to your son." Kagome deliberately neglected to acknowledge Sesshoumaru by name. Sesshoumaru Tashio's, deep golden eyes widened appreciably. Whenever he saw his brother's sister-in-law, which wasn't often enough, she looked different. Kagome had thick black hair that she she'd styled in a ponytail. The soft glow from the recessed lighting in the room flattered her flawless pale skin. A light coat of make-up made her bright blue eyes exotic, high cheekbones, short nose and generously pouted lips.

A hint of a smile lifted the corners of his lips as he stared boldly at the fullness of her breasts under a burnt-orange cashmere pullover, which she paired with black slacks and suede slip-ons. He'd always found her alluring, but Kagome gave off a vibe that made her seem snobbish and aloof. She'd been that way at 19, and now at 25 she was even more standoffish. Her request to speak with him was somewhat shocking yet pleasant surprise.  
"Where would you like to talk?"  
"Outside."

The response came across as a direct order and Sesshoumaru curbed the urge to salute her. He pressed a kiss to his Mother's forehead. "I'll be right back, mother." Grabbing Kagome's arm, he steered her toward the rear of the house. "The front porch," Kagome ordered again. The back porch was too close to the kitchen and she didn't want anyone to hear what she had to say to him.

Reversing course, Sesshoumaru led her through the dining and living rooms and out to the front porch. He held the door open, waiting for Kagome, then stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind them. Leaning against a thick column on the porch, he slipped his hands into his pockets and crossed his feet at his ankles. The seconds ticked off as Kagome sat on a love seat. Twins porch lights provided enough light for Sesshoumaru to make out Kagome's features. Sesshoumaru glanced away to look at the stars in the sky.  
"What do you want to talk about?" Kagome sat up, her spine ramrod straight. "What the hell do you think your doing buying the twins a PlayStation when I told you that I planned to to give it to them for Christmas?"

Nothing moved on Sesshoumaru, not even his eyes as he glared at the woman who was a godmother and aunt to his niece and nephew. "You told me nothing of the sort."  
"When I spoke to Kikyo and asked what the twins wanted for their birthdays she told me to give them gift cards for their favorite stores and to save the electronics for Christmas. I also remember her saying that she was going to tell you the same thing." She had given the twins gift cards to 7 popular clothing stores.  
"Your sister didn't say anything to me, so take it up with her."  
"No Sesshoumaru, I'm taking it up with you. Every year you do this. We talk beforehand about what to get the twins for Christmas and their birthdays, and you do the complete opposite." She stood up and closed the distance between them. "This is the last time I'm going to let you play 'Which godparent is better' to my niece and nephew."  
"Your niece and nephew, Kags?" he said mockingly. "How did you come to that conclusion when they're _my_ brother and _your_ sister's children?" He held up a hand when she opened her mouth. "Unlike you, I don't have the time to hang out at the mall. Rin and Shippo said they wanted an Xbox, Wii, or PlayStation, and I gave them the PlayStation."

Kagome closed her eyes rather than stare at Sesshoumaru Tashio's gorgeous face. As an attorney for some of sports' biggest superstars, Sesshoumaru had become a celebrity in his own right. Paparazzi snapped pictures of him with his famous clients, glamorous models, beautiful actresses, and recording stars. His beautiful features, cleft chin and exquisitely tailored wardrobe afforded him a spot on any cover of a magazine. He not only looked good, but he smelled delicious. His cologne was the perfect match for his natural scent.  
"Next time speak with me before you decide to give them what they want."  
"Are you asking or telling me, Kagome?" Her chest rode and fell, bringing his gaze to linger on her breast. "I'm asking you, Sesshoumaru." she said in a softer tone.

Straightening, Sesshoumaru stared down at his sister-in-law, wondering if she was aware how sexy she was. If he'd had a teacher who looked like Kagome, he would've failed her class, just to repeat it the next year. He dipped and brushes a kiss over her ear. "I'll think about it." Turning on his heel, Sesshoumaru went back into the house, leaving Kagome staring at his back as he walked away. Her finger curled into fist. She called him out for nothing. He had no intention of checking with her. It was as if they were warring parents competing to see who could win over their children with bigger and more expensive gifts.

She folded her arms under her breasts and shook her head. There was no doubt Sesshoumaru would continue to undermine her when it came to the twins, but their was one thing she admired about the man; since he wasn't a father himself, he spared some woman a lifetime of grief. Kagome waited outside for a few minutes longer before the dropping temperature forced her indoors. Affecting a bright smile, she walked just in time to sing happy birthday to the twins before they blew out the candles and cut the cake.


	2. Chapter 1

I want to say Thank you to Seaprincess and Kagomesfriends for the reviews. Sorry it took so long it was a lot to type.  
Enjoy and Review.

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BitterSweet Love  
Chapter 1

The soft-spoken attorney shook hands with Kagome and then repeated the gesture with Sesshoumaru. "Congratulation, Mom, Dad. If you need another copy of the guardianship agreement I recommend you call me rather than go to the Records Office. I've heard that they always have a 2 to 3 month backlog."

Kagome still could not believe she was to share custody of her twin niece and nephew with her sister's brother-in-law. Less than a year after she became aunt, her sister has asked Kagome to raise her children if anything should happen to her and her husband. At the time she'd wondered, _why would a happily married, 22 year old with two beautiful children think about dying?_ Apparently, her older sister, Kikyo, was more prophetic than she knew. Just weeks after the twins' 12th birthday, their mother and father had been killed instantly when a drunk drive lost control of his pick-up truck, crossed the median and crashed head-on with their smaller sedan.

Kagome forced a smile. The meeting with the attorney and signing the documents that made her legal guardian of her 12 year old niece and nephew had reopened a wound that was just starting to heal. Her sister and brother-in-law had died days after Thanksgiving and it'd taken four months for their will to be opened.  
"Thank you for everything, Mr. Ki." Dressed in a tailored suit, Hojo Ki stared as the young schoolteacher whose life was about to dramatically change. Her niece and nephew were moving from the two-bedroom condo where they were temporarily living with their grandparents into her modest house in a Tokyo suburb. Although the children had been well-cared for by their grandparents, Hojo, the executor of her sister and brother-in-law's estate, felt that the emotional and social interest of the twins' would be best with their aunt. His shimmering brown eyes lingered briefly on her attractive face with its high cheekbones, exotic blue eyes and her hair she wore in a flattering curly style. With her wool gabardine suit with plum jacket, pumps and the pearl studs that matched the single strand on her neck, Kagome appeared more like a young executive than a high school history teacher. "If you need legal advice on anything, please don't hesitate to call me," Hojo said, smiling.

A slight frown began to creep across Sesshoumaru's good looks. "I believe I can help her with any legal problem," he said curtly. Sesshoumaru intended to make sure that he was available if she needed legal counsel. He spent the better part of an hour watching Hojo Ki subtly flirt with his sister-in-law. He and Kagome shared guardianship of their niece and nephew, but he'd be damned if he allowed the smooth-talking, toothpaste ad-smiling, little-too-slick-for-Sesshoumaru's taste attorney take advantage of her.

Although they were related through marriage, Sesshoumaru and Kagome hadn't spent much time together and when they did, they usually butted heads. Most of the time, he was involved in contract negotiations for his pro-athlete clients or taking a much-needed vacation. And whenever he invited her to his home for a informal get-together, she always declined. The last two time they had been together was when the two families were making funeral arrangements for Inyuasha and Kikyo.

Reaching out he cupped Kagome's elbow. "I think it's time we leave." Kagome forced herself not to pull away from the pressure of Sesshoumaru's hand on her arm. She didn't like him, had never really liked him, but now they were thrown together because they shared custody of the their godchildren. She didn't know what her sister was thinking when she and Inuyasha decided on Sesshoumaru as the twins' guardian. The high-profile, skirt-hopping, sports attorney lacked the essentials of fatherhood. She gave Hojo a dazzling smile that curved her full lips. "If I need your assistance, I won't hesitate to call you."

Kagome sensed her brother-in-laws annoyance at he rebuff of his offer of legal help when his fingers tightened around her elbow. At 5'-6' and 130 pounds she knew she was physically no match for Sesshoumaru's 6'-2', 190 pound vise like grip. Glancing over her shoulder, she glared at him.  
"I'm ready."

Sesshoumaru led Kagome out of their lawyers' office and waited until she was seated in his 2010 Lexus and he was beside her before he allowed himself to draw a normal breath. "Did I not say I would take care of your legal problems?"

Kagome shifted in her seat, glaring at the incredibly handsome man who'd landed right into her life. She'd lost count of the number of times women colleagues had asked her if Sesshoumaru was available. "Watch your tone, Sesshoumaru. I'm one of the few people who don't fear you. I'm not one of your dim-witted girlfriends who is honored to be in your presence." Kagome knew she struck a nerve when she saw his golden gaze darken.

"In case you didn't notice, the man wasn't looking to offer legal advice."  
Kagome frowned."The please tell me what he was offering."

"His bed."Sesshoumaru's comment caught her off guard for several seconds.

"How could you know that?" Kagome said when she recovered.

A subtle smile parted Sesshoumaru's lips as his gaze slipped from Kagome's face to her breasts and back to her stunned expression. "I'm a man, Kagome. And as such, I recognized all the signals Hojo was sending your way."

Heat pricked little pinpoints across Kagome's skin as she struggled not to look away from his darkened golden eyes that were sending sensuous flames through her body. She couldn't blink or move. "Not every man who looks at me wants me in _that _way, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru's smile widened. "With your face and body, you look nothing like the spinster schoolmarm."

"Wrong century and definitely wrong women," she countered."I'm not a schoolmarm but an educator. And whether I'm 25 or 62 I'll never think of myself as a spinster.

"The fact remains that Hojo wants you. So I suggest that you not lead him on _if_ or _when_ you need legal advice. And, the offer still holds. If you need a lawyer, them I'm always available for you."

She shook her head. "Why would I need you when my brother is a lawyer?" Her older brother, Souta, had recently resigned as partner at a leading Tokyo law firm to teach at Tokyo University.

Sesshoumaru inserted the key into the ignition slot and started the car. "Just make certain you use him." As Sesshoumaru drove out of the parking lot, Kagome wondered if he was rough with the women he dated or slept with. Other than his looks and his money, she didn't know why any of them would out up with his attitude.

They'd agreed that the twins would stay with her during the week and with Sesshoumaru on the weekends. But she doubted, with his busy social life, that there would be many weekends that the twins would stay with Sesshoumaru. That suited Kagome just fine, because what they needed more than anything was stability. Rin and Shippo had lost both parents and since then had been living with their grandparents for the past four months. Now they would be moving again when they came to live with her. The fallout after the funeral and burial was difficult when grandparents and relatives began arguing about who would raise the twins. As an investment banker, Inuyasha Tashio and his family had been financially sound. And the prospect of the twins inheritance drew relatives Sesshoumaru and Kagome hadn't known or seen in decades like hungry sharks to the smell of blood.

The speculation as to the extent of Inuyasha's wealth ended when Sesshoumaru announced that he and Kagome were the legal guardians, and that Kagome was the beneficiary of Inuyasha and Kikyo's multimillion-dollar insurance policy. He inherited vacant lots of land that the government was interested in. The only thing he and Kagome had agreed on was that all the money and lots would be put aside for the twins education and financial future.

Kagome used the few months that the twins were living with their grandparents to decorate her house to accommodate the growing twins. She wanted the transition to be smooth and stress-free for everyone involved. She'd had more than ten years of teaching young adults, but this was the first time Kagome would be the parent in every sense of the world.


	3. Chapter 2

I am soooooo sorry it took me so long. I had a major writers block and then everything went downhill, school was awful and my family was having problems so I better update now or never. Review and Enjoy! I don't own anything!

Bittersweet Love

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The drive from downtown Tokyo to a nearby suburb was accomplished in complete silence. When Sesshoumaru turned off into the subdivision and parked in the driveway where Kagome's parents had purchased the town house after selling the large house they raised their three children, Kagome was out of the car before Sesshoumaru could off the engine. She didn't see his scowl, but registered the slam of the driver's-side door when he closed it.

Ringing the door bell Kagome waited for her mother to open the door. _It's not going to work, _she thought over and over as the heat from Sesshoumaru's body seeped into hers when he move behind her. How was she going to pretend to play house with the twins surrogate father when she could barely tolerate being in the same room with him?

The door and Kagome's mom stood on the other side, her eyes red and swollen. Kagome knew her mother hadn't wanted her grandchildren to leave, but the law was the law and she'd abide by her late daughter's request and the court's decision to have Shippo and Rin live with Kagome."Hi, Mama." Stepping into the entryway, she leaned over and kissed her cheek. "How are the twins?"

Mama Higurashi pressed a wrinkled tissue to her nose. "They're much better than I am. But then again you know how adaptable children are. I've spent most of the day crying, while they come home going on and on about an upcoming class trip." Mama Higurashi glanced over the daughter's shoulder to find Sesshoumaru's broad shoulders filling out the door way. "Please come in, Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru moved into the house with expansive windows and ceilings rising upward to twelve feet. The elder Higurashi's had down sized, selling their six-bedroom farm house for a two-bedroom condo in a newly constructed retirement village. Unlike his parents, who divorced when he was in high school, Mr. and Mrs. Higurashi had recently celebrated their forty-second wedding anniversary. He hadn't remembered a day when his parents didn't argue, which had shaped his views on marriage. His mother said marriage was a daily struggle, one in which she was always the loser. His father remarried twice and after his last divorce he dated a woman for several years, but ended the relationship when she wanted a more permanent commitment.

When his brother had contacted him with the news that he was getting married, Sesshoumaru had at first thought Inuyasha was joking, because they made a pack to never get married, but three months after meeting Kikyo Higurashi, Inuyasha tied the knot. At first he had thought his brother wanted a hasty wedding because Kikyo was pregnant. But his suspicions had been unfounded when the twins were born a year later. When he asked Inuyasha about breaking his promise to never marry, his brother had said promises were meant to be broken when you find the right woman. Sesshoumaru dated a lot of women, had had several long-term relationships, yet at thirty-seven years old he still hadn't found the right woman.

"Aunt Kags, Uncle Sess!" Shippo, older than his sister by two minutes, came bounding down the stairs. "Sorry, Gram," he mumbled when he saw his grandmother frown. His grandmother had lectured him and his sister about walking and not running and talking quietly rather than screaming at the top of their lungs.

Kagome held out her arms, and wasn't disappointed when Shippo came into her embrace, "How's my favorite nephew?" Shippo rolled his eyes as he answered the question, "How can I be your favorite when you tell Rin she's your favorite?" Kagome kissed his forehead, "Can't I have two favorites?" Shippo angled his head, and his expression made him look much. Not only was he older than his sister but he was more mature than his twin. "Of course you can." Pulling away he went over to Sesshoumaru, "I like your suit." The charcoal-gray, single breasted, styled suit in a lightweight wool blend was Sesshoumaru's favorite. "Thank you."

"Okay Shippo, go get your sister and say good-bye to your grandparent, I want to get you tow settled because tomorrow is a school day." Most of the twins' clothes and personal belongings had been moved to her house earlier that week. Kagome had hung their clothes but left boxes of stuffed animals and souvenirs for the twins to unpack and put away.

"We'll see you for Sunday dinner, Gram," Shippo promised as she hugged and kissed her grandmother. "See ya, Gram," Rin hugged her as well. Mama Higurashi gave the twins bear hugs and kisses, "I want you to listen to your aunt and uncle or you'll hear it from me."

"We will, Gram," the two chorused as then ran out of the house to the car outside. Kagome followed the twins out to find Sesshoumaru waiting for her. He'd removed his suit jacket, his custom made shirt and tailored slacks displaying his physique to its best advantage. Shippo and Rin were seated in the back of the car, bouncing to the music blaring from the speakers. Kagome fixed her gaze on a spot over Sesshoumaru's shoulders rather than meet his intense gaze.

There was something about the way he was staring at her that made Kagome slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps it was his earlier reference to her face and body that added to her uneasiness. The first time she was introduced to Sesshoumaru she was stunned by his gorgeous face and perfect body, but after interacting with him she thought he was arrogant and egotistical when he boasted that he graduated number one in his law school class.

Subsequent encounters did little to change her opinion of him. Every time the Higurashi's and the Tashio's got together Sesshoumaru flaunted a different woman. After a while, she stopped talking to him. Even when they came together to celebrate the twins birthday, she never said to words to him.

"We have to talk about Shippo and Rin, Sesshoumaru." She said. His eyebrow rose in question, "What do you want to talk about?" he asked. "We need to establish some rules concerning parenting. One, I hope when the twins are at your house you won't expose them to situations they don't need to see at their age."

It took a full minute for Sesshoumaru to discern what Kagome was implying. His eyes darkened as he struggled to control his temper. He didn't know what is was about Kagome, but she was the only woman who managed to annoy him. He stopped talking to her because she had such a sharp tongue. And rather than argue, he ignored her. But it was impossible to ignore her now because he would have to put up with her for the next eleven years. Once Shippo and Rin celebrated their twenty-third birthday he and Kagome could go their separate ways. Having the twins over on the weekends would cramp his social life, but he was committed to his role as their guardian. "Do you really believe I'm so depraved that I would sleep with a woman when my niece and nephew are in the same house?"

"I don't know what to believe, Sesshoumaru." Kagome's voice was filled with sarcasm. "What you're going to have to do is prove that you can look after two pre-teens."

"I don't have to prove anything to you, Kagome. The fact that my brother thought me worthy enough to care for and protect his children is enough. And, regardless of what you may think-legally I have as much right to see my niece and nephew as much as you do. I agreed to let them stay with you during the week because their school was closer to where you live."

He took a step, bringing him within inches of his sister-in-law, his gaze lingering in the delicate features that made a stunning face. What he hadn't wanted to acknowledge the first time he was introduced to Kagome was that she was stunningly beautiful. She had it all: looks and brains. Also, what he refused to think about was her lithe, curvy body. The one time he saw her in a bikini he found himself transfixed by what had been concealed by her conservative attire. It took weeks before the image of her long shapely legs and the soft excess of flesh rising above the bikini top to fade completely. That had been the first time and only time Sesshoumaru was consciously aware that he wanted to make love to Kagome Higurashi.

"Okay, Sesshoumaru. Let's go, it getting late." Kagome said as she went around to the other side of the car.

"As you wish," laughing as Kagome glared at him over her shoulder.


End file.
